The beauty industry is notoriously known for its less-than-honest marketing claims. In a study conducted by the Journal of Global Fashion Marketing, researchers discovered that 82% of claims made by beauty companies are false. Today, consumers are more conscious about what they purchase, whether it’s the food they eat or the beauty products they use daily. As a result, there has been a surge in companies claiming that their products are natural or clean, touting them as safer to use than products containing synthetic materials.
But clean or natural makeup doesn’t necessarily mean the product is safer and is often used as a buzzword by companies as a marketing ploy. Not all clean makeup is safe and not all synthetic makeup is toxic. So, what do these labels mean, and how can we, as consumers, know which products are best to use?
What is clean makeup?
There is no universal definition of clean makeup. Typically, companies use the terms clean and natural interchangeably, leading consumers to assume these labels indicate a product is safe to use and generally superior to synthetic counterparts. This is also referred to as “greenwashing.” Because of a lack of regulation in the industry, clean makeup ingredient lists can include things as benign as tea tree oil, as questionable as shark liver oil or as toxic as mercury, as all of these ingredients are derived from natural sources. Just because something has “natural” on its label doesn’t mean it’s safe to use. For instance, oregano is natural but known to cause blistering when used as a topical skin treatment.
A lack of regulation also means that a product does not need a certain percentage of natural ingredients. A product may advertise itself as clean but may only have a handful of safe, naturally derived ingredients, with the rest being harmful but technically natural, like petroleum. But who would want to put fossil fuels on their face?
Often, clean makeup is assumed to be more eco-friendly. However, the practices to create this type of makeup can often be unsustainable due to the extraction process. Further, some color pigments in natural products may contain higher levels of heavy metals or contaminants when compared to synthetic products because it’s more difficult to standardize a natural product than standardizing a synthetic one.
All that considered, there are companies making strides to make clean makeup actually clean. The founder of ILIA Beauty realized that we essentially eat any products on our lips. So, she decided to create a lip balm that is safe to ingest, which then gave way to a company whose goal is to create a forthright makeup brand. But ILIA goes further and, according to their Executive Director of Global Education, Sam Michalska, ILIA prefers to use the term, “transparent makeup,” acknowledging that some synthetic ingredients are better than strictly natural ones. ILIA empowers its customers to learn about what they are using.
What is synthetic makeup?
Synthetic makeup simply means that a product is formulated in a lab. Often, synthetic compounds are derived from natural sources. Synthetic products tend to have less of an environmental impact, a longer shelf life thanks to preservatives and are cheaper to buy & produce. They’re also easier to standardize because they are artificial and created by scientists in a controlled setting. While some synthetic ingredients can be harmful, this is not indicative of all synthetic products and doesn’t negate their benefits.
Which is better to use: clean or synthetic makeup?
The short answer? It depends! There are certain situations where each type of makeup is better to use. Clean makeup tends to have a higher price tag than synthetic makeup. To determine whether a product is best to use, read the ingredient list. Here are some ingredients that should make you think twice about purchasing makeup:
- Lead
- Parabens
- Fragrance (Parfum)
- Sodium laureth sulfate
- Retinol (and varying forms)
- Phthalates
- Petroleum distillates
- Triclosan
- Formaldehyde
In short, your skin’s needs determine the type of makeup you should use. Generally, you want your makeup to be free of harmful chemicals, whether natural or synthetic. Not sure what your skin needs? Find a wellness provider to help evaluate & treat your skin on Vagaro’s Marketplace. To get the full rundown about clean makeup and to learn more about the emerging trend of hybrid makeup, listen to On Point, featuring Sam Michalska of ILIA Beauty here or wherever you get your podcasts!
